Green Chemistry and the Ten Commandments

remaining liquid fresh water is that available for growing plants and other organisms
and for industrial uses. This water may be present on the surface as lakes, reservoirs, and
streams, or it may be underground as groundwater.

Atmosphere

Geosphere

Hydrosphere

Environmental

Chemistry

Biosphere

Anthrosphere

Water

    vapor

Oxygen

Dissolved                                               Gr

oundwater

Humus                                                                       Plant   nutrients

Pesticides                  Renewable   bio-

mass    feedstock

s

Oxygen,

nitr

ogen,

Sulfur

particles   dioxide,

calcium

Figure 1.1. Illustration of the five major spheres of the environment. These spheres are closely tied
together, interact with each other, and exchange materials and energy. A meaningful examination of
environmental sciences must include all five of these spheres, including the anthrosphere.

The solid part of earth, the geosphere, includes all rocks and minerals. A particularly
important part of the geosphere is soil, which supports plant growth, the basis of food
for all living organisms. The lithosphere is a relatively thin solid layer extending from
Earth’s surface to depths of 50–100 km. The even thinner outer skin of the lithosphere
known as the crust is composed of relatively lighter silicate-based minerals. It is the part
of the geosphere that is available to interact with the other environmental spheres and
that is accessible to humans.
The biosphere is composed of all living organisms. For the most part, these organisms
live on the surface of the geosphere on soil, or just below the soil surface. The oceans
and other bodies of water support high populations of organisms. Some life forms exist
at considerable depths on ocean floors. In general, though, the biosphere is a very thin

 Green Chemistry, 2nd ed